A mother whose kitchen was broken into while she was in the next room has spoken out about the frightening intrusion. Angela Brassington, 43, was in the living room of her home in Wilford a little before midnight on Tuesday, January 17, when she heard a noise coming from her kitchen.
Angela assumed that her eldest son had come back downstairs after going up to bed a few minutes earlier. However, when she went back into the kitchen to lock-up she found that her kitchen door was wide open and, after looking out of the window, her Nissan Qashqai had gone.
After making sure she hadn't parked the car further down the road Angela immediately called Nottinghamshire Police, who have since confirmed that a car key burglary and house break-in happened somewhere between 11.50pm on January 17 and 12.15am on January 18.
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Worryingly, Angela's eldest son had walked into the kitchen to drop off his cereal bowl moments before the intrusion. Angela says she feels "relieved" that her 16-year-old managed to avoid them.
Recalling the incident, Angela, who works as a social worker, said: "So I work from home in the kitchen. I was working until about 11pm.
"Me and my eldest son, who's 16, were still up. He didn't have to be at sixth form until a bit later the next day.
"We were in the living room watching tele. The lights were all on but the backdoor was unlocked because I was washing my other son's uniform and the tumble dryer is just outside the back door.
"We were in the living room. My son took his cereal bowl into the kitchen at 11.50pm and went upstairs.
"I was still in the living room. I did hear something in the kitchen but I just thought it was my older son had come back downstairs.
"I think it was about 10-past-midnight, I went into the kitchen to lock up and stuff but the back door was wide open. So I thought it must've blown open so I just closed it.
"But I think something was just niggling at me, so I looked outside the window and my car wasn't there. So I wondered if I'd parked it on the side road.
"I walked down the side road to see if it was there, and it wasn't. So I rang the police straight away.
"They asked if I heard anything and I said 'no.' But then I thought I did hear the biscuit barrel make a noise and thought 'why is my son in the biscuit barrel, we don't have biscuits.'
"That should've triggered it really. It wasn't my son.
"So they basically came in the back doors into my kitchen while I was in the living room - right in the next room. Luckily they didn't find my purse.
Angela also suspects a "sentimental" ring was taken during the intrusion as well as a handbag. She says the doors in her house will remain locked from now on.
She added: "I think they took handbag too but luckily there was nothing in there, just receipts. And they've taken one of my rings, which is a bit sentimental as it's from my mum.
"There was a silver and a gold one and luckily they just took the gold one. The silver is more sentimental.
"The neighbours opposite have some CCTV but they've been away. I would never immediately think a stranger is in my house.
"I think I was probably just relieved that they weren't in there when my son had took his cereal bowl back in. It does shake you up.
"At the minute I feel like I do want my car back but, if I get it back, am I going to feel a bit more - I hate the word violated - but just not very nice. Especially seeing the way they were driving it on the CCTV.
"I think because there's a big part of me that thinks if the doors had of been locked then it wouldn't have happened, I'm not worried because now I'll just make sure the doors are locked. If they'd broken in, then it would be a much bigger worry because there would have been nothing to stop them.
"Whereas at the minute I just think 'I know it's not going to happen again' because the doors are always locked now."
Police Staff Investigator Amanah Sattar, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Officers attended a house in St Ervan Road, Wilford, after receiving reports of a car key burglary. The house was broken into at some point between 11.50pm on 17 January and 12.15am on 18 January.
“A set of car keys were taken during the incident, which were then used to steal a car parked outside the property. An investigation is still ongoing to establish who might have been involved, so we’d ask anyone who has any information to contact us straight away.
“Information can be left with the police by calling 101, quoting incident 11 of 18 January 2023, or with Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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